16 towns told: Report updated fair market values of properties

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has given three weeks all the 16 municipalities who failed to submit an updated reassessment report on the fair market values of improvements of business establishments in their localities.

The 16 municipalities are Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Pinamungajan, Asturias, Badian, Dumanjug, San Francisco, Alegria, Borbon, Madridejos, Santa Fe, Santander, Tabuelan, Malabuyoc, Ronda, and Samboan.

Garcia met with all the municipal assessors and treasurers at the Capitol last Monday. All of them were supposed to submit an updated reassessment report but they failed. Those who failed to submit claimed that they focused on assessing the newly constructed structures while others said they are still in the process of continuing reassessment.

The governor wants all structures, especially those that have been improved, reassessed to determine the fair market value for purposes of collecting the appropriate real property tax.

“I'm focusing on the fraud, on the underdeclaration, mao bitaw na akong buot ipasabot. For too long a time, satisfied ra kaayo ta kun unsay ideklarar unya mubo ra kaayo. Dali ra man na ang bag-o gani, kun inyo na nabantayan dayon, kun unsay ilang ideklarar diha sa engineering mangayo’g bulding permit, madiritso man na og sukod. Pero for a long long time underdeclared ang fair market value niining mga existing, unya ato lang gihapon na gidawat,” Garcia said.

The governor said underdeclaration of the fair market value is depriving the government of revenue that can be used for programs and projects of the local government units concerned.

Earlier, Garcia ordered the 44 towns of the province to form an assessment team in each municipality composed of the municipal assessor, municipal engineer, municipal treasurer, and representative from the mayor’s office to conduct a survey and report the updated improvements made by the business establishments in their respective locality. — (FREEMAN)